The Last of Us: Escape the Dark Goes on Pre-sale

What is The Last of Us: Escape the Dark? 

The Last of Us: Escape the Dark board game is set to be an atmospheric solo and co-op multiplayer adventure, taking place in the world of the critically acclaimed Naughty Dog franchise. The boardgame is currently available for pre-order with an expected release of early 2024. 

Made possible by Kickstarter and powered by the latest evolution of the Escape the Dark system, the game allows for up to 5 players to experience the post-apocalypse setting, made famous by the Sony Entertainment video games, in a brand-new way. 

Much to be expected, the boardgame sees players as a group of survivors (with beloved duo Joel and Ellie currently featured in the box artwork), weaving your own unique story of survival and companionship as you explore an open-world map. “We’re excited to see Joel, Ellie and more of our beloved characters take on new life through stunning artwork and mechanics that immerse players in the world of The Last of Us,” said Neil Druckmann, Co-President of Naughty Dog.

How to play The Last of Us: Escape the Dark

From what we know so far, The Last of Us: Escape the Dark will entail resolving immersive Chapter Cards at each location to gain vital information, weapons, and equipment. Survival will depend on making difficult choices and tactical use of item cards and custom character dice to overcome a variety of threats including Hunters, FEDRA agents, and the dreaded Infected. 

Beginning your journey in a forsaken quarantine zone, your goal is to travel to the reputed safe haven of Jackson while keeping everyone in the group alive, before plotting your route through the trouble landscape. 

The Last of Us: Escape the Dark Kickstarter Success

First created as a Kickstarter back in November 2022, the game was successfully picked up by Norwich based independent tabletop game design studio, Themeborne. Following the popularity of their first game, Escape the Dark Castle, published in English in 2018 after yet another Kickstarter campaign, The Last of Us: Escape the Dark seems to be a logical and welcomed next step. 

Neil Druckmann, says: "I've been a massive fan of Themeborne's Escape the Dark boardgames. Escape the Dark Castle grabbed me with its bold black & white illustrations, compelling RPG mechanics, and interesting narrative choices. With its spiritual sequel, Escape the Dark Sector, I loved the evolution of deeper mechanics and how easily they fit into the sci-fi genre. Now I couldn't be happier to see their game design continue to evolve with The Last of Us!"

Watch this space for, hopefully, a review coming very soon. We can't wait to give it a play for ourselves. You can pre-order your copy of The Last of Us: Escape the Dark here via Themeborne.